{"id":6643,"date":"2026-06-10T20:32:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T20:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegorelocationnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/10\/how-did-the-putah-fire-get-its-name-what-to-know-about-california-wildfire-names\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T20:32:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T20:32:35","slug":"how-did-the-putah-fire-get-its-name-what-to-know-about-california-wildfire-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegorelocationnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/10\/how-did-the-putah-fire-get-its-name-what-to-know-about-california-wildfire-names\/","title":{"rendered":"How did the Putah Fire get its name? What to know about California wildfire names"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

Based on its name, you might assume 2018\u2019s Camp Fire<\/u> was started by a few errant embers from an unattended campfire.<\/p>\n

Read more Placer Union trustee faulted in Del Oro basketball investigation, didn\u2019t break law<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not what sparked the deadliest wildfire in recorded California history.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Instead, Pacific Gas & Electricity power lines<\/u> in the high hills of Butte County ignited the 153,336-acre wildfire<\/u> that destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings and killed 85 people, state fire officials determined.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So how did the Camp Fire get its name?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A dispatcher named the wildfire after Camp Creek Road<\/u>, where it originated.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how California wildfires get their handles.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How did the Putah Fire get its name?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The Putah Fire<\/u> near Winters in Yolo County is 30% contained after burning 869 acres, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The fire began on Monday, June 8, as a controlled burn.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It took its name from nearby Putah Creek, which may take its name<\/u> from the Lake Miwok tribe term \u201cpu\u1e6da wuwwe,\u201d which translates to \u201cgrassy creek,\u201d The Bloom reported.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Who names wildfires in California?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Typically, naming a wildfire is the job of the dispatch center that sends the initial responders to the fire.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sometimes the first firefighters on the scene give a blaze its forever name<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

According to Cal Fire, fires are traditionally named based on their location in reference to nearby streets, road signs, landmarks or geological features such as creeks, lakes, hills and mountains.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cQuickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locator, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name,\u201d Cal Fire said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It also helps dispatchers, community members and the media keep track of the blazes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

California wildfires<\/u> in 2025 bore names ranging from the obvious to the obscure: Canyon Fire, Ranch Fire, Springs Fire, Salt Fire, Blue Fire and so on.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Palisades Fire<\/u>, named for the nearby Pacific Palisades neighborhood<\/u>, burned 23,448 acres in Los Angeles County and killed 12 in January, NBC News said.<\/p>\n

Read more Local readers respond to our list of outdoor eateries. What are their favorites?<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Eaton Fire<\/u> the same month took its name<\/u> from nearby Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, the city of Monrovia said. It burned 14,021 acres.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Blazes caused by lightning strikes, on the other hand, are named with an alphabet soup<\/u> of letters and numbers chosen to reflect where and in what order the fires are reported, KTVU reported.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Are there rules about names for wildland fires?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The National Interagency Fire Center has some guidelines<\/u> for naming wildfires. They include:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n